Teamsters to rally today for striking CertainTeed workers

The CertainTeed picket line on New Year's Eve.

Hundreds of New England Teamsters will descend on CertainTeed in Norwood, Mass., this afternoon to protest the company's attacks against its own employees, who've been on strike for several weeks.

Until the contract expired at 12:01 a.m., on  Dec. 19, Teamsters Local 25 had been negotiating with CertainTeed, a French-owned maker of roofing products and asphalt shingles. Despite their best efforts, negotiators from Local 25 couldn't make any progress toward resolving the outstanding issues with CertainTeed. The company left the union no option but to strike.

Sean M. O'Brien, president of Teamsters Local 25, and an international vice president, said:

The company has become the epitome of greed, treating its workforce unfairly without regard for health and welfare and job security. CertainTeed is a prime example of what happens when a multi-million dollar corporation buys out a local business. Shortly after the French company acquired the locally owned Bird Corporation in 1998, workers have seen the stark differences between a local company who cares about its employees and a conglomerate only concerned with the bottom line. With no local ties, they are able to bully their workforce and enough is enough.

The strike affects 90 members. CertainTeed wants to drastically reduce the amount of health insurance they pay and, in return, give employees a one-time $1,000 bonus. These latest cuts come on top of other concessions CertainTeed workers have made in the past.

Teamsters are asking homeowners not to buy roofing materials and shingles from CertainTeed.
They'll be live tweeting the rally, so stay tuned at #teamsters, #union, #maunion and #mapoli. Show solidarity by retweeting!